The Pollak Library and the CSUF Irvine Center Library are among the largest employers of student assistants at Cal State Fullerton. We have a long history of recruiting and mentoring talented students from across all majors, and are now actively engaged in the campus-wide strategic goal of developing High Impact Practices (HIPs) for these students to help them better succeed in their educational and professional goals. The work they do for us is invaluable, and our libraries could not deliver the high level of services we provide to our campus community and the public without their efforts and expertise.

Meet Garrett, Christi, and David!

Garrett Fritz

What is your student job title?

I’m an intern at the University Archives and Special Collections.

When did you start working at the Pollak Library?

I began working at the Archives at the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester.

What is your student job in a nutshell?

I process and catalog collections for transfer to the ArchiveSpace database.

What project are you working on now?

I am currently processing into ArchiveSpace the Sy Foster Collection found in the Freedom Center, a collection of personal correspondence from Bay Area local Sydney Foster.

Do you have a favorite accomplishment or discovery so far working at the UA&SC?

My favorite discovery so far has been the collection of Time and Life magazines going all the way back to the first issue.

What are you major/degree and/or graduate field, and intended date of completion for your current degree?

I am currently working on earning a Bachelor’s in History with a minor in Anthropology. My intended date of completion should be next semester, Spring 2019.

What career/s are you interested in?

I am interested in working with museums or archives to some capacity in the future, specifically interested in pursuing a career with California State Parks as a Park Interpreter.

Has your student work at the Pollak Library helped prepare you for your future career field?

In the little amount of time I’ve been at the University Archives so far it has already greatly increased my practical skills that could be used to find a future profession.

What are your passions or interests outside of work and school?

Outside of work and school I like to relax by playing video games or reading biographies of famous individuals.

Do you have a favorite book, periodical, website, digital archive, blog, etc. that you want to share with other students?

Currently reading Grantby Ron Chernow, a very well-researched and well-written biography on Ulysses S. Grant from the author of Hamilton.

Do you have a favorite book, periodical, website, digital archive, blog, etc. that you would want to share with other students?

I love the database JSTOR; it is a great resource for research and journal articles.

David Wells

What is your student job title?

Student Assistant for University Archives & Special Collections.

When did you start working at the Pollak Library?

I started on August 13, 2018

What is your student job in a nutshell?

Assisting behind-the-scenes, pulling items from the shelves, digitizing materials for patrons, and processing and cataloging collections.

What project are you working on right now?

I have just completed shifting UA&SC’s American Trade Bindings collection, to make room for better consolidating the Cartography collection.

Do you have a favorite accomplishment or discovery so far working at the UA&SC?

Processing UA&SC’s Screenplay collection turned up many interesting items, such as number of scripts for the 1960s Batman TV series, as well notable films like Star Wars, Alien, Logan’s Run, The Maltese Falcon, and Frankenstein.

What are your major/degree and/or graduate field, and intended date of completion for your current degree?

I am currently working on my M.A. in History, with an emphasis in Public History. Intended date of completion is Spring 2019.

What career/s are you interested in?

I am interested in a career in public history, such as working in museums, archives, or historic sites.

Has your student work at the Pollak Library helped prepare you for your future career field?

Yes, working in UA&SC has provided a great experience for working in an archive environment, helping to understand the many factors that archivists need to consider when working with all sorts of items, as well as offering the opportunity to work with some truly unique and valuable collections.

What are your passions or interests outside of work and school?

When I have the time, I enjoy watching classic films, reading science-fiction/fantasy novels, and playing video games.

Do you have a favorite book, periodical, website, digital archive, blog, etc. that you want to share with other students?

I recently read SnowCrash by Neal Stephenson, a landmark piece of cyberpunk science-fiction, that I really enjoyed because of how its deliberately exaggerated and ridiculous vision of the future also managed to be oddly prescient or directly influential on technology today.